Today they had the man who helped build the Ashton brand, Manny Ferrero. This former Philadelphia Police officer (he worked vice, and high crimes tactical, amongst other departments, so he has some “Bad Ass Tough Guy” credibility) has been with Ashton for over 20 years.. His current position with the company is Vice President of Sales, but it very well could have been “Brand Ambassador” by the way he carries himself, represents the company, and shares his knowledge and love of the brand to all of those in attendance. Accompanying Manny was Andy Green, Sales Representative, and the man with the job any Joe would kill for. (Oh to be a cigar rep….I can dream while I write, can’t I?)

"Enjoying" a Heritage with Andy

Today we tasted the Ashton Heritage Puro Sol, rated one of the Years top 25 cigars, and after smoking it, it was easy to see why.

The Ashton Heritage Puro Sol after a few puffs.

Before I get to the cigar, let me tell you a little about what makes Manny so special. He has a talent for matching cigars with alcohol, and food to the extant that it enhances the flavor of all that is involved. This is why Ashton is the leading cigar brand when it comes to such events, and high end tastings. Today Manny introduced me to the combination of Johnnie Walker Black, organic dark chocolate, and a Heritage Puro Sol. What we did was take a sip of Johnnie, then a piece of chocolate, followed another drink of Johnnie. Next we took a puff of the cigar, and blew a little out through our nose, which completed the convergence of all things delicious. First off having the dark chocolate before taking the sip of Johnnie changed the flavor in a nice way. The alcohol became smoother, and richer. Then the cigar became creamier and bolder. Another pairing Manny recommended is Vodka (a happy choice for this Kettle drinker), a green apple, and of course, an Ashton. When it comes to clearing the palate, Manny recommends unsalted cashews between cigars. They help to absorb the oils in your mouth, and give you a clean slate for the next stick to burn for your taste enjoyment. 

The Ashton spread at Buttheads.

The Heritage Puro Sol is the latest from Ashton to come out for your smoking enjoyment. They are hoping that this line will be on par with the Fuente Don Carlos, and they plan it have it compete with the staple brand. (For those of you that don’t know Ashton is partially owned by Fuente, so this “sibling rivalry” will be fun for fans of both lines.) Now back to the Heritage, we are talking a fully sun grown cigar that has a amazing spicy, yet smooth taste all wrapped in a Cameroon leaf. I did not want to put it down after I lit it & took my first puff. Now my personal favorite Ashton is the VSG, so I had high expectations and standards, and this stick did not disappoint. This was a nice spicy, yet mellower departure from the VSG.

Try as i could, I couldn't sell Manny on creating the Ashton "Joe's Smoke Enjoy" line!

I know that Ashton may not be the everyday brand for most of you. Depending on the line and size they range from $8 to $20 a stick, but if you want to delve into the $8 to $10 range the, Heritage is a good choice. Now if that is too painful for the pocket these days, fear not, your friends at Ashton have not forsaken you to die of neglect on the cross of cigar exclusivity. The make the well renowned (and lower priced) La Aroma de Cuba. These Nicaraguan & Honduran filled babies were a favorite brand of Winston Chruchill (you may have heard of him; ran England, helped kick some Nazi ass in the 40’s, and oh yeah, a cigar size is also named after him.), so if he liked it, I think it may be worth a try. Coming this September they will be reworking the Edicion Especial! The Cuban seed tobaccos grown in Nicaraguan volcanic soil will be wrapped in the Connecticut broad leaf (Manny’s favorite), and it will keep the same price point post SCHIP tax! So look for a even better cigar at the same price. Yep, another company that will absorb the SCHIP tax just to make sure that their customers are taken care of in these hard times, and in my opinion taking the correct approach to ensure brand loyalty. So you will be able to enjoy a stick for between $4.75 and $7.00.

As always, we had a great time at Buttheads, and look forward to what Kevin will bring us next. Check out their site at http://www.buttheadstobacco.com for upcoming events and information, and we hope to see you there.

First off let me tell you how I review a cigar. I look for particular things, like craftsmanship of the cigar and how it presents it self in the box and my hand. When lighting I look for an easy light with a light-medium pull. When I cut I look for an even cut and no flaking or dry leaves. It should be somewhat moist but not enough to hinder the lighting. I look for taste; it can be any taste as long as it is good, a Maduro can be (depending on your current experience) sweet and rich, a little lighter cigar say a something in a Cameroon wrapper (still dark but not a Maduro) will be lighter with a slight spice. But never, never should a cigar be harsh nor should it be prone to tunneling. Why am I telling you this, well it is a review, and unfortunately for the Oliva Serie G Cameroons, it is not good, it failed in every way.

I often try more then 1 cigar from more then 1 store, I travel for my company and it affords me the ability to buy cigars everywhere in Connecticut and Westchester County. I tried the Oliva Serie G Cameroons several times from several stores hoping that maybe I got a bad stick, but the more I tried the worse it got. The first stick I bought pre-SCHIP for $3.79, and thought ok, not a bad stick but not a great one either. It was a little harsh on the first couple of pulls, like a Camel Light from my smoking days. It did mellow out further down the stick but was mostly unremarkable, there was in fact little to no taste. The cigar to have if you were having more then one cigar I thought. To be fair I gave it another try (at $5.49), this time it was just as harsh as the first one but for a longer time, then proceeded to fall apart, literally. I could not finish the cigar. So, out I went determined to try again and was met with the same indignities time and again by the G, from tunneling (uneven burns) to a harsh cigarette like smoke, to the cigar just falling apart. I know companies can make a decent if not good cigar for fewer than 5 bucks. The Flor de Ybor city by Fuente is proof of that (even if you currently have to order it via mail) so why not the G? I couldn’t begin to guess why, but you should burn your cash else where if looking for a cheap smoke.

TYPE:
I smoked the Topedo 6.5 x 52, Rubosto 4.5 x 50, and Belicoso 5 x 52. Neither one was good.

Flavor:
Harsh, then goes to a mellow draw or none whatsoever (if you are lucky).

Price:
3.79/5.79 stick
Box 85/100

Buy:
save your cash

Time to Smoke:
anywhere from 45 minutes to 20 depending on when it disintegrated

Where would it sit in my shelf:
it wouldn’t
Cigar Aficionado had this as 2006 top 25 cigars, they also had David Caruso on their cover that month. Take both with a grain of salt.

Meh

This is a write up that has been a long time coming. As many of you know I was first introduced to this cigar when I was in Tampa last month. This is the cigar that we were smoking with Arturo Funete Jr. during out interview at the Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company in Ybor city (http://www.tampasweetheart.com).

Tasts as good as it looks